The new year will mean a new look, extended hours for the Argyle Street bar.

The Carleton Music Bar & Grill (1685 Argyle Street) is temporarily closing its doors for renovations.

According to a press release, the Carleton will shut down on December 22. It will briefly re-open for its In The Dead of Winter Festival shows from January 18-20, but the official re-opening won’t take place until February 8.

These renovations come several months after Karen Spaulding, president of Metaworks Inc.,acquired ownership of the bar. “It has been a whirlwind and a joy to move from long-time patron to owner of the Carleton,” she says in the release. She goes on to describe the renos as a “substantial facelift” which will give the venue a more modern feel while still staying true to its 250-year history.

The re-opening will also mean extended hours for the Carleton in order to accommodate weekday lunches and weekend brunch, along with a year-round patio where you can enjoy it all.

Johanna Eliot's new venture on Clifton and Cunard opens Tuesday night

Tonight, Halifax's new European-inspired restaurant Eliot & Vine opens at 2035 Clifton Street after a champagne opening last night, where photographers Andrew Donovan and Crissie Brenton (Phototype) snapped a few sneak-peek photos of the 55-seat venture by film producer Johanna Eliot. The gorgeous resto offers exquisite design, reminiscent of Eliot's childhood in Greece, luxurious ever-changing menus by executive chef Jason Townes, wines from around the world and Dartmouth's new Nine Locks brew on tap. Reservations and walk-ins are welcome.

The new bar and restaurant on Cunard Street serves up rich Asian-inspired dishes

On Saturday, Studio East served up a tapas of Asian-inspired dishes as chefs Saronn Pov and Ray Bear offered a tapas-style sneak peek of the rich and flavourful menu in the rustic but modern space on Cunard Street. With her Cambodian roots, Pov was a longtime vendor at the Keith's Brewery Market, but she is delighted to open her first restaurant. Tonight, all of Halifax is welcome to try it out. And based on what I tasted, you'll be back. I know I will.

The menu features a complementary palette of Asian-inspired but locally produced meat and vegetarian dishes. The decor is inviting and cozy but contemporary and crisp. Fine art (including a portrait of Bill Murray) adorns the walls. The bar and kitchen is exposed, and the bright dining area features benches with low dining tables, while a community-style table centres the room.

For drinks, Studio East has well-priced local craft beers, ciders, cocktails and a wine selection from Valley wineries. The menu features dishes like Char Sui BBQ Pork Ramen, Cambodian banh mi, Korean beef bulgogi, raw oysters, warm sushi and more. The dishes are flavoured in fusion while maintaining an East Asian taste with fresh, local ingredients. Truly delicious.

The Trail Shop's Steve Maly is all about Quinpool business

“I was just trying to cut down my coffee bill,” laughs Steve Maly, manager of The Trail Shop (6210 Quinpool Road) and the new owner of its neighbour Ireland 32 (6220 Quinpool Road).

Self-proclaimed as the cafe’s most regular customer, Maly’s taken over the reigns from Noel Gallagher (not this one) who opened Ireland 32 back in 2010. “Everything I’ve done, with the exception of The Trail Shop, has been in the restaurant scene,” says Maly of his new, nearby venture. "I'm usually working two jobs....It's hectic, but very helpful when they're only three doors apart."

While the cafe’s staff and vibe will remain, its name (TBA) and menu will change in coming months—you can expect more on the food front, says Maly—“But the first consideration is keeping the bar where it was set by Noel."

The Clayton Park chain calls it quits before Christmas

Neighbourhood bar and grill Applebee's (278 Lacewood Drive) will close its doors for good this week. The family-friendly, chain resto nestled within the growing Clayton Park Shopping Centre will serve its last meals on Sunday, December 23. Applebee's general manager Curt Stephens says he is unaware of the reasoning behind the closure.

Friday, December 7, 2012

A new spot for casual dining in Bedford

Posted
on Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 3:43 PM

Try a pita pizza, at Oliver's

Sherry Smithers has certainly blazed a food-trail around the HRM. The original owner of Ducky's on the Waterfront, which she ran for 10 years before selling in 2007, and the brains behind Alderney Landing's Oliver's Deli has most recently given Bedford a taste of her long-loved cooking. In case you hadn't heard Oliver's Casual Dining opened up in the Howard Johnson Bluenose Inn & Suites last month, offering fresh, casual eats that give special attention to local products (like Sweet William's meats and Java Blend coffee).

To celebrate just over a month in business, Smithers and the crew at Oliver's are hosting an open house this Sunday, December 9 from 2 until 6pm and you're invited to stop by, say hi and see what you've been missing. Check out the resto's website here.

Monday, April 23, 2012

“Good, clean and fair local food for all” on May 5

Local food producers, brewers, wine makers and foodies---all seated around one table at last. Slow Food Nova Scotia’s Spring Supper is back to serve up some local flavours for its third year in a row. This year’s dinner will be whipped up by 11 local chefs, including Craig Flinn of Chives Canadian Bistro, Dennis Johnston of Fid Resto, and Zane Kelsall and Tara MacDonald of Two If By Sea Café. The dinner will include a seven-course meal created with locally-sourced ingredients paired with Nova Scotian wines.

Slow Food is an international grassroots organization with members in 150 countries. The evening is designed to promote Slow Food’s ideal of “good, clean and fair local food for all.” The dinner is set for May 5 at 6:30pm. Tickets are $85 ($75 for Slow Food members) and can be purchased with cash or cheque at Chives (1537 Barrington Street), Brooklyn Warehouse(2795 Windsor Street) and Two If By Sea’s Dartmouth location (66 Ochterloney Street).

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Canadian chain opens in plum Quinpool and Vernon location

People were saying---maybe even hoping---that Starbucks would take over the space on Quinpool vacated by Perks. But, in fact, it's Canadian coffee giant Second Cup that's moved in there following a big renovation. The cafe is open now.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The seafood resto has a direct connection with legendary disaster

The building home to The Five Fishermen (1740 Argyle Street, 422-4421) has a great history in this town. It was once the John Snow & Co. Funeral Home, where the bodies of Titanic victims were taken in April 1912, including the mortal remains of well-heeled gentlemen John Jacob Aster and Charles M. Hayes.

It's fitting, then, that The Five Fishermen will be hosting a Titanic prix fixe dinner until the end of April, inspired by the White Star liner's first-class menu. Give the restaurant a call to make reservations.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Classy downtown hosts a special good time

Starting this month, the four-diamond Gio restaurant (1725 Market Street, located inside the Prince George Hotel, 425-1987) will be hosting Cocktail Hour, every Wednesday and Thursday from 5-7 pm. Take a sip or two out of Gio’s sommelier-selected wine list, cocktail, martini and spirits selection. Bring your friends or your date to enjoy the restaurant’s extensive bar and lounge area, and while you’re at it, stay for a meal from chef Vince Scigliano’s kitchen.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

North end eatery expands hours, menu

The Coastal Cafe (2731 Robie Street, 405-4022), three-peat winner of Best Breakfast in our annual Best of Food Survey, is looking to moonlight with dinners starting this month. Coastal@NIGHT will be serving dinner as a five-course prix fixe menu at $50, with a wine or beer pairing at an additional $20-25. The evening service is provided by mustachioed chef Graeme Ruppel, who is leasing the space from Coastal owner Mark Giffin. The Coastal Cafe’s nocturnal counterpart will be open Thursdays through Sundays, with reservations taken for 6pm and 8pm. Call in advance as the 22-seat space fills up quickly.

UPDATE APRIL 9, 11:40am
The information in this story was updated to clarify the fact that Mark Giffin is still in charge at Coastal, and that Graeme Ruppel is no longer with Getaway Meat Mongers at the Seaport Farmers Market (though he still buys product from them). We apologize for the mix-up.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Anticipating a warm spring and Titanic tourists, patios will be ready April 11

Good news for anxious patio aficionados: The annual Patio Day in Halifax has been moved forward by city council to April 11 this year. Though April 21 is usually when businesses with valid permits set up sidewalk patios, bar owners contacted members of the council about the anticipated increase in public traffic in the city for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster. Downtown Halifax councillor Dawn Sloane says that the media will be coming into the city to cover the events, and where the media is, the rest of the world will be too.

If you’re a restaurant owner, be sure to apply for or renew your permit now, as it is processed in a first-come-first-served basis. If you’re an eager patron, check the weather forecasts in the coming days. Soon you'll be enjoying a beverage or meal outside one of your favourite cafes or bars.

Mobile cafe a creative, contemplative space

Stop by The General Café this month to enjoy some specialty coffees, wild harvested teas and snacks with good company. Daina Tavenier and Sam Kinsley will be hosting their mobile cafe at the Roberts Street Social Centre (5684 Roberts Street, 446-1788, the little red house between Agricola and Maynard Streets) every Wednesday to Friday from 9am-3:30pm for the first three weeks of April. What exactly is this travelling General Café? “The project is inspired by the romantic notion of a cafe as a place for social interaction, contemplation of ideas, art, music, and political dialogue,” explains the press release. So bring all your ideas and be prepared to share them with others in this cozy little creative space.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Future uncertain for downtown restaurant, Bayers Lake location still open

A popular eatery just off the waterfront, Dragon Buffet King (1668 Lower Water Street, 431-8588), is closed. A staffer at the Bayers Lake location of Dragon Buffet King, which is still open, told us that officially the downtown spot is "being renovated," though couldn't give a sense of when it would be open again. And the For Lease signs outside 1668 Lower Water tell a different story.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Learn about single malt from scotch expert

Every Tuesday in March, from 7-9pm, The Press Gang ( 5218 Prince Street, 423-8816) is hosting a scotch whiskey education and tasting session, featuring many of the 75 single malts on site. Providing the knowledge will be consulting sommelier Wallace Fraser, co-founder and past president of the Association of Sommeliers of the Atlantic Provinces (now CAPS Atlantic) and a past cellar master for the Atlantic Chapter of the International Sommelier Guild. For more than 25 years he has managed the food and beverage operations of a number of fine dining restaurants, including his own place Rosco’s in the late '80s and La Maison in the '90s.